NEW TIME AND LOCATION! We had a very successful meeting last month with standing room only at the SAP Houston offices. Make plans to join us for our next meeting on July 30th, Tuesday, from 4:00 to 6:00 PM. The SUG-TX Board is lining up an interesting out-of-town guest speaker just for you. So save the date in your calendar.

2) Future SUG-TX Meetings

In an effort to better plan and coordinate our future meetings, the SUG-TX Board has decided to meet every other month versus on a monthly basis. This will allow more time to schedule out-of-town guest speakers and notify all interested parties in a timely manner.

Mark your calendar for future topics for SUG-TX Meetings:

Sept 24 Monthly Meeting TBA

Nov/Dec Annual Holiday Gathering TBA

3) Join the SUG-TX LinkedIn Group

The SAP Users’ Group of Texas has a group in LinkedIn. If you wish to join, submit a request. You can find the group by searching for “Sybase Texas” in the groups directory. Contact secretary@sugtx.org if you have any questions.

4) Database & Developer Digest Blog

Check out the Database & Developer Digest Blog by Adrian Bridgwater at www.isug.com. One of his latest blogs is entitled “SAP targets development of Agile omni-channel commerce solutions”. “SAP has this week confirmed its aquisition of hybris (lower case intended) a growing e-commerce technology company. The acquisition is hoped to position SAP to deliver a next-generation cloud-based e-commerce platform for developers, with the choice of on-premise or cloud deployment. The company tells us that enterprises around the world now seek to “optimise the customer experience” for businesses and consumers across an ever-growing number of delivery channels, devices and touchpoints.

Agile omni-channel commerce solutions: SAP points to Agile omni-channel commerce solutions from hybris and says that this will provide enterprise software application development pros with the enhanced data and tools necessary to optimise margins and customer loyalty.

Estimated at a total value of US$37 billion by industry analysts, the e-commerce technology market is experiencing rapid growth as businesses adapt to changing customer behaviors that seamlessly cross web, mobile, store, contact centre and other points of engagement.

The firm insists that big data, cloud and social technologies only heighten demand for innovative commerce solutions needed for managing consistent customer engagement.

Twice the growth rate of the retail industry …” Learn more at www.isug.com.

5)PowerBuilder Developers — Is this How You Feel?

Check out the Database & Developer Digest Blog by Mike Harrold at www.isug.com. One of his latest blogs is entitled “PowerBuilder Developers — Is this How You Feel?” “We have been working with some key members of the PB Community over the past few weeks on an initiative to bring PowerBuilder to the attention of SAP management.

There is a general consensus that since the acquisition of Sybase (and some might even argue since the acquisition of PowerSoft) the PowerBuilder product has been neglected. What is important going forward, however, is not complaining about the past, but putting forward a valid future path for PowerBuilder.

What do we mean by this? Well, if SAP decision makers are going to invest in PowerBuilder, it needs to be for positive reasons, and not just “because Sybase neglected PB” or other such comments. SAP management needs to hear from companies with future plans for PowerBuilder, and the investment that they have in the product. Even more so if those plans include tying into other SAP systems and products. Like HANA*, for example. But definitely if there’s new development and new projects. Maintaining current projects isn’t enough. What you’re doing needs to be important (critical even)to your business, and at the same time cool and innovative. Something that demonstrates the awesome prowess of PowerBuilder that’s going to grab people’s attention.

All that said, here’s the point: if you have significant investments in PB, and you want to see PB continue, it’s time to stand up and say so.

If you’re an employee of a large company you should be contacting SAP directly. Not you — your CTO/CIO. And they need to be talking to their SAP counterparts not their sales rep. And if you’re a smaller company, then we want to hear from you so we can take a combined message to SAP from a large number of customers.” Learn more at www.isug.com.

6)New Benefit: Complimentary ASUG Membership

Effective February 7th, ISUG-TECH Gold Members in the US & Canada can receive complimentary membership in ASUG – the Americas SAP User Group. ISUG-TECH and ASUG are partnering together to ensure that members in both organization can leverage the best of both worlds. Follow the ISUG Member’s Blog at www.isug.com and be the first to know about more upcoming changes.

Do you have suggestions for our group? Would you like to present your SAP and Sybase solutions to the SAP Users’ Group of Texas? The group is always looking for compelling presentations for our monthly meetings. Let us hear them!

Please forward this newsletter to anyone interested in learning more about SAP and Sybase products. To be added to or removed from the SUG-TX mailing list, subscribe to the mailing list at the SUG-TX Community on the My.ISUG.com website. Contact secretary@sugtx.org if you have any questions.

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Welcome

SUGTX began in 1992 as a “chartered” Local User Group (LUG) of the International Sybase User Group (ISUG) and in that capacity, we urge you to also join ISUG to take advantage of the benefits of membership.

We are also the Sybase Technologies SIG for the Houston Area League of PC Users (HAL-PC), which is now the world’s largest PC user group. HAL-PC graciously provides access to its facilities for our meetings.